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They were once the abode of royalty. Today, many of these palaces,
forts, havelis, mansions and bungalows have been opened as heritage
hotels, museums and archaeological monuments.
The largest of the princely states of Gujarat, and one of three
premier 21 gun salute states in India, was Baroda. The state was
at its zenith during the reign of Maharajah Sayajirao Gaekwad in
the late-19TH and early-20th century when numerous reforms and civil
infrastructure were introduced. Sayajirao commissioned the Laxmi
nivas palace, while he was yuvraj(crown prince) of Baroda, and the
palace designed by Major Mant and completed by Chisolm has a magnificent
fagade blending various architectural styles, surmounted by domes,
turrets, a clock tower and side minarets. The interiors are equally
impressive in their profusion of Italian marble and mosaic, sculpture,
stained glass and antiques. The Durbarhall, which can be visited
with permission from the office in the palace grounds, has decorous
domes, huge chandeliers, carved cedar galleries, mosaic and sculpture.
The Maharajah Fatehsingh museum has an extensive collection of European
oil paintings, Ravi Varma's portraiture of the Gaekwad family, marble
statues, porcelain, oriental art and princely relics. Other palaces
in the city of Vadodara, as Baroda is called today, are the 18*
century Nazzar bagh, the Makarpura palace which is now an airforce
building, the Pratap vilas at Lalbagh which houses a railway college,
the Shiv mahal offers outdoor programs in the huge grounds surrounding
the palace.
A number of heritage hotels are situated in 100 km radius of Vadodara.
The 1930s Kusum vilas and Prem bhawan palace complex at Chhota Udepur
has been opened as a heritage hotel. The palace buildings in Indo-Saracenic
style with some European features, are impressive, and set in 40
acres of gardens featuring marble sculpture, fountains and water
bodies. The rooms have been appointed with modern furniture and
fixtures. Guests can see the royal rail saloon carriage, howdahs,
palanquins and other family possessions. Highlights of the palace
are the view of the hilly countryside and proximity to colourful
tribal hamlets.
The Rajwant palace resort is a wing of the Vijay palace, a seven
acre complex on the shores of river Karjan. The interiors blend
old furniture and modern facilities. The palace has a museum of
artefacts from the family's collection and a tribal museum and cultural
centre is coming up shortly. Guests can visit the imposing Vadia
palace which has paintings by Italian artist Vali. The Sarita hotel
at Mandwa, near Chandod, and the Jambughods palace nature lovers
retreat are other hotels in 100 km radius of Vadodara. The Garden
is set in a 19th century haveli, while the Jambughoda palace is
turning one of its wings into a nature lover's retreat. palace at
Balasinore, near one of the largest dinosaur sites in the world,
offers four rooms and an orchard garden setting near a lake. This
is one of the few heritage hotels in India run by a former Nawab
and Begum, and serves Mughlai cuisine of the Palanpur, Junagadh
and Balasinore royals. Santrampur has a fabulous palace set on the
shores of a lake, with marvellous sitting arrangements embellished
with rich fabrics and antique objects, which is being converted
to a heritage hotel.
o Saurashtra from Gujarat, The Palace Utelia offers accommodations
in a tum-of-the-century building, set in the heart of an ethnic
village of the Bhal plains. The interiors have been recently renovated
to offer modern facilities and furniture that matches the period
when the property was built. Utelia is convenient for visits to
Lothal's archaeological site.
Further down from Utelia, Bhavnagar was one of the richest princely
states of Saurashtra. The former ruling family's Nilambag palace
is now a government classified Heritage Classic hotel. The palace
was built in 1859 AD and has a multi-acre garden, porticoes and
stepped arches. The interiors are furnished with Burma teak, illuminated
by European chandeliers, and decorated with wood carvings, king
size royal portraits, chandeliers, gilded ceilings and period artefacts.
The palace has been renovated to offer modern facilities without
losing the period flavour. The piece de resistance is the swimming
pool, which resembles a Roman bath complete with steps and columns.
The Dil bahar heritage hotel at Bhavnagar, a converted 1937 AD mansion,
has been opened in the house guest tradition with four rooms, home
cooked food, marvellously appointed sitting arrangements, a swimming
pool and emorabilia. The property has a view of Victoria park.
An option to staying at. Bhavnagar is the 1915 AD Vijay vilas at
Adpur Palitana, with a few rooms and a view of the Jain temple covered
Shatrunnajaya hill. The property has four posters, old dressers,
historic photographs and portraits, and provides hot homecooked
lunches for groups visiting Palitana's Jain complex. For those who
love the sea, an alternative is Gopnath bungalow, a 1942 AD mansion
complex facing rocky shores, south of Bhavnagar city. This is where
His highness Krishnakumar Sinhji enjoyed sea breezes when summer
became too oppressive at Bhavnagar.
The Riverside palace at Gondal, a government of India classified
heritage hotel, and the Orchard palace in the same town, are two
mansion guest houses opened as heritage hotels. The interiors of
these properties are appointed with period furniture, antiaues and
artefacts remniscent of the days of the Rai.
The Indian theme rooms are marvelously appointed sitting arrangements,
each decorated with Kathiawadi handicrafts and Indian paintings.
The highlight of staying at these properties is that guests can
see the royal garages, housing vintage and classic cars, and the
Naulakha palace, which is a festival of stone carvings and houses
royal memorabilia including toys of the late-19th and' early-20th
century, silver caskets that carried messages and gifts for the
Maharajah, elephant howdahs and royal portraits. For an unusual
experience, guests can stay in the royal rail saloon suite, which
has its own drawing, dining, bedroom and bathroom in a converted
railway carriage.
Gondal is the ideal base to visit Junagadh, where the royal palace
is now the Durbarhall museum with a large collection of arms, armoury,
textiles, costumes, carpets and silver furnishings.
Further north of Gondal, Wankaner has a stupendous palace straddling
a plateau halfway up a hill, with an awesome blend of Venetian Gothic,
Hindu, Islamic and other architectural styles that harmonize into
one single fa~ade with no features seeming out of place. The palace,
named the Ranjit vilas for prince Ranji who laid the foundation
stone, has exquisite interiors done up in Italian marble, stained
glass, moulded ceilings, crystal, silver, custom-woven rugs and
carpets, and early-20th century furniture. The palace museum has
a collection of swords, daggers, shields and insignia. Accommodations
are in the Residency wing of the palace or the art deco royal oasis
in a nearby orchard. The marble stepwell in the orchard, situated
at the turn of the river Machchu, is one of the few in private ownership
in Gujarat.
Also along the river Machchu is Morvi, where the Darbargadh palace
has been converted to a heritage hotel. The palace is situated on
the shores of the river and is a fine work of 19* century architecture.
The rooms and dining hall are attractively furnished, and there
is a pleasant garden restaurant.
Wadhwan's Rajmahal is being renovated and is likely to be a heritage
hotel very soon. The palace is set in acres of grounds and the owners
keep vintage and classic cars. The Darbarhall of the palace is superbly
furnished with thrones, chairs, crystal and velvet upholstery, that
is believed to have been custom-made for the royal family of Wadhwan,
and decorated with ceiling and wall paintings. The velvet suite
and the classical columned courtyard are other highlights. In the
town of Wadhwan are the old fort walls, probably dating to the Solanki
Rajput period, and the intricately carved Hawa rnahal, which was
designed to be a Lake palace but left incomplete. Wadhwan is known
for its textiles and handicrafts. Sayla's Bell guest house is being
converted to a highway-side heritage hotel.
North Gujarat has three heritage hotels. The Balaram palace resort
is a classified Heritage Classic hotel, set in huge grounds at the
turn of a river, with a view of the hills of Balaram Ambaji sanctuary.
The palace has landscaped lawns, a swimming pool, health club and
conference facilities. The rooms are equipped with modern conveniences
like TV, telephone and refrigerator. Tribal dances and log fire
side dinners can be arranged on request. The Darbargadh Poshina
is a medieval fort, in the heart of a village, and is known for
its tribal village tours. The Darbargadh has been renovated with
antiques and old furniture, and guests can sit-out on lawns and
terraces, or in pleasantly open courtyards. The owners provide tribal
performances, visits to tribal hamlets and folk art demonstrations.
Bhavani villa at Danta has opened a few rooms for guests and has
excellent arrangements for horse safaris in the hilly countryside
of Banaskanta district, trekking and jeep tours.
